Tool for removing hydraulic valve lifters



May 24, 1966 BOWDEN 3,252,210

TOOL FOR REMOVING HYDRAULIC VALVE LIFTERS Filed Feb. 28, 1964 5Sheets-Sheet 1 R0) N. BOWDEW INVENTOR.

May 24, 1966 R. N.

BOWDEN 3,252,210

TOOL FOR REMOVING HYDRAULIC VALVE LIFTERS Filed Feb. 28, 1964 5Sheets-Sheet 2 I is n) if as 38 as 3/ /O a0 2/ m 27 6 'l 4' 9 g g l I HImumm M 45 l min.

R0) N. BOWDE/V INVENTOR.

7' ENE) y 1966 R. N. BOWDEN 3,252,210

TOOL FOR REMOVING HYDRAULIC VALVE LIFTERS Filed Feb. 28, 1964 ea 47 5/24 4e Ill/ ROY N. BOWDE/V INVENTOR.

5 Sheets-Sheet 5 R/VEY United States Patent 3,252,210 TOOL FOR REMOVINGHYDRAULIC VALVE LIFTERS Roy N. Bowden, 42 E. Shore Drive, Indian Lake,NJ.

' Filed Feb. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 348,220

8 Claims. (Cl. 29-267) This invention relates to a novel tool especiallyadapted for the removal of a hydraulic valve lifter from an engineblock.

Inmany modern engines, the hydraulic valve lifters are not readilyaccessible from the top of the engine block. Consequently, thereplacement of a defective valve lifter necessitates the removal of manyengine components in order to be able to remove the lifter from the topof the engine block, or the dropping of the engine crankcase and camshaft in order to effect a removal of the lifter from the bottom of theengine block. In either case, the operation is time consuming andcostly. Further, a valve lifter often sticks due to the accumulation ofgum, varnish, etc. In such case, not only is direct access to the lifterrequired but, also, some means must be employed to free the lifterbefore it can be withdrawn from the engine block. In some cases,accessto the stuck lifter may be had upon removal of the rocker arm andpush rod and turning over the engine to a point where the upper portionof the lifter extends above the engine block. The protruding portion ofthe lifter may then be grasped by a pair of pliers whereby a twistingforce may be applied to the lifter to shear the varnish film. However,in many modern engines, the valve lifters are so located and orientedthat the outer surface thereof cannot be grasped by pliers or the like.In such case, an attempt first is made to remove the stuck lifter bydismantling it in situ, that is, removing the lifter lock ring andpiston and then attempting to loosen and pry out the shell by some meanswhich can be inserted under the flange portion of the lifter. Suchprocedure seldom proves to be successful since a stuck lifter generallyis frozen, firmly, to the engine block. It then becomes necessary toremove the crank case and cam shaft to permit driving the lifterdownwardly out of the engine block hole.

A tool made in accordance with this invention is adapted for the removalof a defective and/or stuck hydraulic valve lifter from the top of theengine block without requiring dismantling of the lifter and regardlessof the location of the lifter in a particular engine. All that isrequired is access to the top of the lifter upon removal of the rockerarm and push rod. In fact, such access need not be along a straight lineof sight. Further, the tool is so designed that it is attachable to anew valve lifter for the purpose of inserting such lifter into theengine block hole, thereby eliminating the necessity of removing otherengine components which otherwise could interfere with normal insertionof the lifter by hand.

An object of this invention is the provision of a tool for use inremoving a hydraulic valve lifter from an engine block.

An object of this invention is the provision of a tool for removing astuck hydraulic valve lifter from an engine block, which tool isprovided with gripping means adapted for engagement with the lifterwhile the latter is positioned in an engine block hole, andmanuallyoperable means for maintaining the gripping means in engagementwith the lifter at a pressure sufficient to prevent relative rotation ofthe lifter and the gripping means.

An object of this invention is the provision of a tool comprising ahandle portion and a head portion, a pair of jaw members pivotallycarried by the said head portion and means controlled by said handleportion for spreading apart the jaw members.

An object of this invention is the provision of a tool 3 ,252,2 1 0Patented May 24, 1966 especially adapted for the removal of a stuckhydraulic valve lifter from an engine block, which -tool comprises ahandle including a pivoted member, an operating head having a pair ofcomplementary jaw members pivotally secured thereto, said jaw membersbeing adapted to pass through the axial hole provided in the top of thevalve lifter, and means spreading apart the jaw members upon movement ofthe pivoted member of the handle.

These and other objects-and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from the following description when taken with the accompanyingdrawings showing two embodiments of the invention. It will beunderstood, however, that the drawings are for purposes of illustrationand are not to be construed as defining the scope or limits of theinvention, reference being had for the latter purpose to the claimsappended hereto.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote like parts inthe several views:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a valve lifter tool made in accordance withthis invention and showing the operating handle and the clamping jaws inthe normal positions;

FIGURE 2 is a top view thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a side view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the'handle in arotated, or closed, position and with the clamping jaws spread apart;

FIGURE 4 shows the spring which biases the clamping jaws to the normalposition;

FIGURES 5 and 6 are enlarged side and front views, respectively, of thewedge which co-acts with the clamping jaws;

FIGURES 7 and 8 are enlarged side and front views, respectively, showingthe assembly comprising the pivotal member of the handle and the rockerarm;

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged, fragmentary cross-sectional view showing theassembly of the operating rod, adjusting nut and wedge;

FIGURES 10-13 are enlarged side, top, bottom and front views,respectively, of one of the clamping jaws;

FIGURES 14-16 are enlarged side, top and front views, respectively, ofthe head which carries the clamping jaws;

FIGURES 17 and 18 are enlarged side views, with parts in cross-sectionshowing the two clamping jaws assembled on the head and in the retractedand expanded positions, respectively;

FIGURE 19 is a cross-sectional view showing the manner in which theclamping jaws of the tool engage a hydraulic valve lifter for removalthereof from the engine block;

FIGURE 20 is a side view, generally similar to FIG- URE 1, but showinganother embodiment of the invention; and

FIGURE 21 is an enlarged view similar to FIGURE 17 and showing anotherembodiment of the invention.

Reference, now, is made to FIGURES 1-3. The handle of the tool comprisesa relatively fixed member 10 terminating in a head portion 11, and acooperating member 12 pivotally attached thereto. The members 10 and 11may be cast. of a suitable metal to form an integral unit with themember 10 in the form of a longitudinal section of a cylinder foraccommodating the member 12. The member 12 is of tubular form and hassecured thereto the tail 14 of a rocker arm 13 as by means of a pair ofpins 15, 16 force-fitted through aligned holes formed in the tail andthe wall of the member 12. As shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, the rocker armhas a bifurcated end terminating in the spaced, integral fingers 17 and18 and a hole 19 extending through the body portion. This hole is aclearance hole for a screw 20 (see FIGURE 1), having an end threadedinto a threaded hole provided in the wall of the handle member 10,thereby pivotally attaching the handle members together.

Secured to and extending from the head portion 11 is a rigid metal tube21, the other end of the tube being secured to the operating head 22comprising a bushing member 23 having a pair of clamping jaws 24 and 24'pivotally attached thereto by means of the respective pins 26 and 27. Anoperating rod 30 slidably extends through the tube 21. The left end ofthe rod 30 has secured thereto a metal wedge 31, the side and frontviews of which are shown in FIGURES and 6, respectively. The other end32, of the rod 30, is threaded and carries thereon an adjusting nut 33having a knurled peripheral surface. As will be described hereinbelow,with specific reference to FIGURE 9, a compression spring biases theoperating rod 30 to the right, whereby the base of the wedge 31 normallyabuts against the surface of the head bushing 23 and the handle member12 extends at an angle relative to the member 10, as shown in FIGURE 1.A helical spring 35, having its ends soldered together to form a circle,as shown in the enlarged view of FIGURE 4, is positioned withincomplementary grooves formed in the outer surfaces of the clamping jaws24 and 24', said spring compressively retaining the jaws in thenon-extended positions when the wedge is in the withdrawn position, asillustrated in FIGURE 1.

The two handle members and 12 are designed to be grasped conveniently inone hand. In order to operate the tool, the user squeezes the handlemembers together whereby the counterclockwise rotation of the pivotedhandle member 12 causes the rocker arm to move the nut 33 and the rod 30to the left, as shown in FIGURE 3. Such movement of the rod causes thewedge 31 to force apart the individually-pivoted clamping jaws 24 and24'. radial expansion of the clamping jaws secures the tool to ahydraulic valve lifter for the purpose of withdrawing the lifter fromthe engine block, as will be described hereinbelow, with specificreference to FIGURE 19.

Reference, now, is made to the enlarged, fragmentary cross-sectionalview of FIGURE 9. The adjusting nut 33 is provided with an axial bore38, for accommodating the coiled spring 39 loosely carried by theoperating rod 30, said bore communicating with a threaded axial holematching the threads formed on the rod end 32.' The head portion 11 andthe operating head 22 are provided with axial bores receiving the endsof the outer tube 21, which tube may be soldered, or Welded, to theheads, as indicated by the numerals 40, 41. The left hand end of theoperating rod 30 is of a reduced-diameter, the end portion of which isthreaded into a central hole formed in the wedge 31. It will now beapparent that the spring 39 biases the operating rod to the right withthe base of the wedge normally abutting the surface of the head 22.Also, the range of forward movement of the wedge is determined by thedistance between the end of the adjusting nut 33 and the wall definingthe bottom of the bore 42 formed in the head portion 11. Obviously, theextent of the linear movement of the operating rod can be increased ordecreased by rotating the nut on the rod end 32.

The two clamping jaws are of identical construction. FIGURES 10-13 are,respectively, side, top, bottom and front views of one of the clampingjaws. The jaw, preferably made of hardened steel, is an integral memberhaving a cylindrical outer surface 45, with a circumferential groove 46formed therein, and terminating in a lug portion 47, the latter beingprovided with a transverse slot 48. The inner surface 49 is mono-planaras is the front surface 50. Extending radially from the cylindricalsurface is a lip 51, the outer edge of which is of arcuate shape.

The construction of the operating head 22 is shown in FIGURES '14-16,which figures are side, top and front views, respectively. with an axialbore 54 communicating with the smaller, central hole 55, the formerreceiving an end of .the tube 21 and the latter accommodating the lefthand end of the operating rod 30, as shown in FIGURE 9. The two pins 26and 27 are force-driven through appropriate holes This The shank portion53 is provided formed on two cords of a circle, which circle defines theouter surface of the head. These pins span a diametrical slot 56, formedon the front face of the head, and having a depth equal to the thicknessof portion 23, that is, such slot extends to the reduced-diameter,integral shank 53. Such slot, which intersects the axial hole 55,accommodates the lug portions of the two clamping jaws, as best shown inFIGURES 17 and 18, to which reference now is made.

FIGURES 17 and 18 are fragmentary views, with parts shown incross-section. The clamping jaws 24, 24' each have their lug portions47, 47' disposed within the diametrical slot 56, with the pins 26 and 27extending through the respective slots 48, 48'. The circular spring 35,see FIGURES 1 and 4, is not shown in FIGURES 17 and 18. Such spring,however, is contained within the complementary circumferential grooves46, 46' and provides a radial biasing force normally pressing the twoclamping jaws toward each other, as shown in FIGURE 17. When theoperating rod 30 is moved to the left, the wedge 31 spreads the jawsapart, as shown in FIGURE 18. In the normal positions of the clampingjaws, as shown in FIGURE 17, the diameter (d) is such that the jaw lips51, 51' will pass into a hydraulic valve lifter, whereas when the jawsare spread apart, as shown in FIGURE 18, the jaws firmly grasp the valvelifter for removal thereof from the engine block.

Referring, now, to FIGURE 19, there is shown a hydraulic valve lifter 60which normally reciprocates within the bore 61 provided in the engineblock 62. Generally, the valve lifter is provided with an axial borereceiving the piston 63, which piston is biased upwardly toward theinwardly-directed flange 64 by a compression spring 65. This piston,which has a diameter less than that of the hole defined by the flange64, is retained in operative position by a lock ring 66.

Due to the accumulation of gum, varnish, etc., the lower outer surfaceof the valve lifter may become, essentially, frozen to the wall of theengine block. Consequently, a considerable twisting force is required tobreak the lifter loose and remove same from the engine block. With theclamping jaws of the tool in the normal, or relatively closed, position(as shown in FIGURE 17), the front portions of the jaws, including theoutwardlyextending lips 51, 51', will pass through the opening in thetop of the valve lifter. With the jaws brought to rest upon the lockring 66, a relatively small downward pressure, exerted on the tool,depresses the spring and the piston 63. At this point, the user squeezestogether the handle members of the tool, whereby the operating rod 30drives the wedge 31 downwardly, thereby forcing the jaw members 24, 24'apart with the respective lips 51, 51' positioned under the lifterflange 64. It is pointed out, however, that the ends of the lips 51, 51'are spaced from the inner wall of the lifter when the cylindrical outerwalls of the jaw members abut against the inner wall of the flange 64.Inasmuch as the cylindrical, outer surfaces of the two clamping jawsform the major portion of a complete cylinder, there is a relativelylong mutual surface area of contact between the flange 64 and the jaws.Thus, by tightly squeezing together the tool handle members, the valvelifter is securely grasped by the tool jaws and can be subjected to atwisting motion to shear the varnish film, after which the tool can bemanipulated to remove the lifter from the engine block. The jaw lips 51,51 serve primarily to orient the tool relative to the lifter and toretain the tool in operative position with respect to the lifter if thepressure on the handle memhers is somewhat relaxed during the process offreeing and removing the lifter. In such arrangement, the possibility ofdeforming the relatively thin lips is reduced to a minimum. As has beendescribed, hereinabove, with reference to FIGURE 9, the nut 33 may bethreadedly adjusted on the operating rod to set the extent of theforward movement of the wedge when the handle members are squeezedtogether tightly. Such adjustment is desirable to adapt the tool for useon valve lifters of different sizes.

Once the old valve lifter has been removed, a new lifter can be attachedto the tool, in a similar manner, thereby facilitating the placement ofthe new lifter into the engine block hole.

A valve lifter tool having a relatively long stem, as shown in FIGURES1-3, is designed primarily for use on valve lifters which are positionedat a relatively long distance from the engine top. In certain engines,the valve lifters are positioned relatively close to the engine top butother engine components restrict the head room above the lifter. In suchcases, a relatively short tool is required. It is apparent that the toolcan be made relatively short by eliminating the outer tube 21 (seeFIGURE 1) and modifying the head portion 11 to serve as the operatinghead 22. In such case, only a very short operating rod is necessary, allother components of the tool remaining as described.

Also, in certain engines, the valve lifters are not only recessed atsome depth from the engine top but access thereto cannot be had by meansof a straight tool with out removing other engine components. For use insuch specific cases, the tool may be modified as shown in FIG- URE 20.The handle and operating head (here identified by the numerals 70 and71) are constructed and arranged as has been described. The outer tube,in this case, comprises two sections 21a and 21b, the former beingrigidly secured to the head portion 11 and the latter being secured tothe shank 53. of the operating head. These two tube sections havesecured thereto a flexible tube 72. A pair of cable guides 73, 74 aresecured in fixed position on the tube sections 21a and 21b, each guidehaving a loop loosely encircling the flexible cable 75. One end of thecable 75 is soldered to the shank 53. The other end of the cable passesinto a tube 76 and is soldered to the end of a threaded rod 77, whichrod carries an adjusting nut 88. The tube 76 is secured rigidly to thetube section 21a by means of a suitable bracket 79. Thus, rotation ofthe nut 78 in a direction to cause more of the rod 77 to protrude fromthe tube 76 will cause the cable 70 to pull the operating head into theillustrated position. In this construction, the operating rod also ismade in two sections, one section being secured to the wedge 31 and theother section carrying the adjusting nut 33. The other ends of theoperating rod sections are secured to a flexible cable 80,

' of the type generally referred to as speedometer cable,

which cable is spaced from and substantially co-extensive with theflexible tube 72. Once the operating head has been offset to therequired extent, the tool is used and operated as has already beendescribed.

The construction shown in FIGURE 20 permits the user to offset theoperating head 71 as required, thereby to adapt the tool for use on aparticular job. However, the construction of an offset tool can besimplified considerably when such tool is designed for use on a specificengine. -In such case, the tool is provided with a solid outer tube 21,as shown in FIGURE 1, the forward end of which is bent into apredetermined arcuate form such as, for example, the outer flexible tube72 shown in FIG- URE 20. Also, the operating rod includes a flexibleportion co-extensive with the arcuate portion of the outer tube similarto the flexible portion 80 shown in FIGURE 20. Obviously, such tool,having a fixed, or permanently offset front end, does not require theadjusting arrangement comprising the flexible cable 75, nut 78, etc., asshown in the FIGURE 20 embodiment of the invention.

In order to accommodate the tool to a valve lifter which is onlyslightly offset from the axial line of the associated push rod, thebasic tool may be modified as shown in FIGURE 21. Here, the axial borein the a '6 shank portion 53 has a diameter somewhat greater than thetube 21. The operating head is pivotally attached to the tube 21 bymeans of a rivet 81 passing through aligned holes formed in the shankportion 53 and somewhat larger, radially-aligned holes formed in thetube. Such rivet also passes through a longitudinally-extendingclearance slot 82 formed in the operating rod 30. Also, the wedge 31 ispivotally secured to the operating rod by a pin 83, said wedge having aslotted shank 84 spanning a flat tip 85 formed on the end of the rod.

Having now given a detailed description of the invention, those skilledin this art will be able to make various changes and modificationswithout thereby departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, asset forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A tool comprising,

(a) a first handle member,

(b) a rigid tube having one end secured to said first handle member,

(c) a cup-shaped operating head carried by the other end of said .tube,said head having an axial hole formed in the base anddiametrically-opposed slots formed in the side wall,

(d) a pair of spaced pins secured'to said head and spanning the saidslots,

(e) a pair of jaws, each jaw having a cylindrical outer surface, amono-planar inner surface and terminating in a lug portion having atransverse slot formed therein, said jaws being pivotally-coupled to thesaid head by means of the said spaced pins passing through the saidtransverse slots,

(f) an operating rod extending through the said tube,

(g) a wedge member disposed between the said jaws and connected to oneend of the operating rod,

(h) a first spring means biasing the jaws into engagement with saidwedge member,

(i) a second handle member pivotally secured to the first handle memberand having an actuating end, and

(j) a second means biasing the operating rod into engagement with theactuating end of the second handle member.

2. The invention as recited in claim 1, wherein the cylindrical outersurface of each jaw member terminates in a radially-extending lip andwherein the mono-planar surfaces of the jaw members lie in planes whichconverge at a point remote from the said head.

3. The invention as recited in claim 1, wherein the transverse slotsformed in the lug portions of the jaws have a depth substantiallyexceeding the diameters of the said pins, and wherein a portion of eachlug portion extends through the diametrically-opposed slots formed inthe said head.

4. The invention as recited in claim 1, wherein a portion of the saidfirst handle member comprises a longi tudinal section of a cylinder andwherein the said second handle member is cylindrical and partiallydisposed within the said portion of the first handle member.

5. The invention as'recited in claim 1, including an adjusting nutcarried by the said operating rod, which nut is in engagement with theactuating end of the second handle member.

6. The invention as recited in claim 1, including means formingcircumferential grooves in the cylindrical outer surface of the jaws,and wherein the said first spring means comprises a circular springmember disposed within the circumferential grooves.

7. The invention as recited in claim 1, including cooperating adjustmentmeans carried by the said head and operating rod, said means beingmanually-adjustable to offset the axis of said head relative to that ofthe said tube.

7 Q 8 8. The invention as recited in claim 7, wherein the said 2,814,09811/1957 Kessell 29-267 Wedge member is connected to the said one end ofthe 2,950,525 8/1960 Duncan et a1 29-282 X operating rod by a flexiblecable. FOREIGN PATENTS References Cited by the Examiner 5 407,421 1 924Germany.

UNITED STATES PATENTS WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner. 2,373,3074/1945 Goddard et a1 29-267 J c PETERS Assistant Examiner 2,380,0687/1945 Patton 29-280 X

1. A TOOL COMPRISING, (A) A FIRST HANDLE MEMBER, (B) A RIGID TUBE HAVINGONE END SECURED TO SAID FIRST HANDLE MEMBER, (C) A CUP-SHAPED OPERATINGHEAD CARRIED BY THE OTHER END OF SAID TUBE, SAID HEAD HAVING AN AXIALHOLE FORMED IN THE BASE AND DIAMETRICALLY-OPPOSED SLOTS FORMED IN THESIDE WALL, (D) A PAIR OF SPACED PINS SECURED TO SAID HED AND SPANNINGTHE SAID SLOTS, (E) A PAIR OF JAWS, EACH JAW HAVING A CYLINDRICAL OUTERSURFACE, A MONO-PLANAR INNER SURFACE AND TERMINATING IN A LUG PORTIONHAVING A TRANSVERSE SLOT FORMED THEREIN, SAID JAWS BEINGPIVOTALLY-COUPLED TO THE SAID HEAD BY MEANS OF THE SAID SPACED PINSPASSING THROUGH THE SAID TRANSVERSE SLOTS, (F) AN OPERATING RODEXTENDING THROUGH THE SAID TUBE, (G) A WEDGE MEMBER DISPOSED BETWEEN THESAID JAWS AND CONNECTED TO ONE END OF THE OPERATING ROD, (H) A FIRSTSPRING MEANS BIASING THE JAWS INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID WEDGE MEMBER,(I) A SECOND HANDLE MEMBER PIVOTALLY SECURED TO THE FIRST HANDLE MEMBERAND HAVING AN ACTUATING END, AND (J) A SECOND MEANS BIASING THEOPERATING ROD INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ACTUATING END OF THE SECONDHANDLE MEMBER.